Display apparatus.



L. W. WBLCH.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1910.

Patented May 9, I 911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inventor,- Lymaw W Welciv,

L. W. WELGH.

DISPLAY APPARATUS. APPLICATION nLEnNov. 17, 1910.

Patented May 9, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ewenifir. an W Walch Lym 7% "gawk ing at their meeting ends.

'on the rear L'YMAN W. WELCH, 0F GRAND .MIC'HIG AN.

DISPLAY AIPABATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Application filed November 17, 1910. Serial No. 592,928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, LYMAN W. WELOH, citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention is an improvement upon that disclosed in application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me October 29, 1910, #590,595, in which a revolving display rack is combined with a casing, the display rack being adjustable in relation to the casing so that it may be pushed or set back therein so that. the casing may be closed or may be drawn forward in relation to they casing, so that the salesman may have access to the garments, which are hung in two lines or rows upon parallel bars, access being had to the garments on the front bar by simply drawing'the display rack forward and access being had to the garments bar by turning the display rack after it is drawn into its forward position.

My present. invention concerns means for controlling the display rack sothat, as it is drawn forward in relation to the casing, it can not be rotated until a redetcrmined forward position is reache said controlling means also'preventing backward or inward movement of the display rack in relation to the casing when the salesman applies the necessary force thereto in turning t.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

'In ,the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a display rack such as illustrated in the application above referred to, in position within the casing, which is shown in dotted lines and with my improved controlling mechanism; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the display rack drawn forward in relation to the casing; and Fig. 3 is a side View of the display rack with parts in section. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a catch.

In these drawings, the casing is indicated at 1; the parallel bars for supporting the rows of garments are shown at 2 and 3, these parallel bars being connected by links 5 with standards or posts 6 located in a plane about midway between the parallel bars, the said posts being supported by arms 7 which are pivotally mounted on the bottom of the cas- As in the application above referred to, these meeting ends have overlapping portions provided with stop shoulders, and the pivota' mounting for the meeting ends of these armsis substantially the same as that disclosed in theapplication above referred to, and needs no specific description herein, it being understood that the arms 7 are adapted to swing from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 in order to draw the display rack forwardly in relation to the casing when the salesman wants to gain access to the garments. When the display rack is drawn into the position shown in Fig. 2, it may be turned without interference by striking the wall of the casing, the said rack turning on the pivotal mounting of the arms 7, 7, above me ntioncd.

In order to control the movement of the display rack when drawn forward so thatit will have only a forward movement and no turning movement as it is being adjusted from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, and furthermore in order to control the display rack while it is being rotated so that it will have only rotating movement but no inward movement in relation to the casing, I provide the mechanism consisting of a circular track 8 on the base of the cabinet or casing which is concentric with the pivot of the arms 7, 7, the said track, at one point, having an extension consistincg1 of the parallel straight portions 9 exten ing paral el with the side walls of the cabinet, and having a roove or space 10 between them. When t e display rack is in the osition shown in Fig. 1, this straight portion of the track receives a roller 11 mounted on a pivot or journal in which connects 'togethc'r controlling links 12. 'These links diverge from each other and are pivotally connected with the arms 7 at 13. There is a pair of these links 12 extending rearwardl in relation to the arms 7, and a second pair extending forwardly in relation to these arms 7 the links of both pairs being pivotally mounted on the arms 7 at the points 13, and the forward pair, like the rear pair above described, converge with each other and have at their converging ends a roller 11. This roller, as shown in Fig. 2, lies at some distance away from the circular track when the display rack is adjusted within the casing, whilethe other roller 11, as above stated, lies in the groove or runway of the straight portion Q of the controlling track. It Will now be seen that as the display rack is drawn forwardly from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2, the rollerll moving against the straight portions 9 of the track, will control the forward movement of movement also it will. be seen that the links 12 have been spread apart at the points where they join the arms 7 because of the straightening out of the said arms-7 and-the separation of the pivot points 23 due to this straightening action, and it will be observed also that the rollers 11 and 11 have approached each other from their position of maximum separation shown in Fig. 1 so that both will lie within the circuit of the controlling track, as shown in Fig. 2. With the parts in this position of Fig. 2, it will be seen that as soon as the attendant applies force to turn the display rack so that accessmay be had to the garments suspended on the rear rod, the roller 11 will come opposite the inner face of the track at its circular portion and out of line with the runway 10, and this roller bearing on the inner face of the circular track and coacting with the roller 11, will hold the display rack with the arms 7 in alinement, as shownin Fig. 2, and the rack may thenbe turned on the central pivot and-without danger of the rack moving except revolubly. In other words, the circular track, together with the controllin rollers and links, will prevent the arms from moving in relation to each other from their position of alinement into any position more or less at an angle to each other, and thus the rack will be controlled so that it will revolve without any danger of any of its portions striking the walls of the cabinet. \Vhen the rack is'reversed, as just described, to bring therear bar to he front, the rack may be moved back into the casing when desired, the roller '11 now entering the runway 10 and controlling this rearward-movement of the rack and prevent it from rotating during this action. In other words, the rack may be operated in precisely the same manner in drawing it out and in returning it into the casing or in rotating it no matter which of the supporting rods 2 or 3 is at the front of the casin The rollers may be provided with ball bearings, as indicated in dotted lines.

I provide at 14. a spring catch or frictional locking device which has a curved or reing means for the eons-1s cessed end to conform tothe periphery of overcome the slight resistance of the fric-i tional catch, when the roller will ride out of the recess, the catch yielding forthis pur pose, and-then the frame will be free to be turned, and when the other roller is about 'to assume its central position at the rear, it

will engage the catch, press it back until the roller comes opposite the recess, when the spring will press thecatch forward to center the roller andho'ld the rack in its new posi-' tion.

lVhile I have illustrated the invention as applied to a single deck form of apparatus, it will be understood. that the invention may be embodied in a double deck form,.-and it will also be understood that. while I have shown the embodiment of my invention in one form herein, I do not limit myself to the detail construction or arrangement of the parts. i

I claim as my invention 1. In a display apparatus, the combination of a casing, a rack comprising bars for carrying the goods, a pivot mounted at a fixed point in said casing and supporting means for the bars comprising-a pair of arms turning about the said pivot and movable forwardly and backwardly in relation to the casing to advance or retract the-same, and having rotary movement at the pivot for reversing the position of the bars, and

controlling means to prevent the rotary movement while the rack is being moved forwardly or backwardly and tofprevent 'said backward movement when the rack is rotated,.substantially as described.

2. In a display apparatus, the combination of a casing, a'rack comprising members for supporting the'goods, and a pair of arms connected thereto and revolubly mounted to swing relatively to each other and to the casing for moving the rack forward or backward, and means for locking the rack against rotary movement while the same is'being moved directly forwardly ,or backwardly and to lock the same against backward movement while the rack is being rotated, substantially'as described.

3. In a display apparatus, the combination ofa casing, a rack comprising supportgarments, and a pair of arms pivotally mounted in the casing at their adjacent ends, said arms havingturning means for the garments and a pair of prevent 1 rotated,

.prevent backward movement as the rack is ,rotated, said controlling means comprising links pivoted to the arms to contact with the track, substantially as described.

6. In combination a casing, front and rear bars for supporting the garments, a pair of arms pivotally mounted on the casing at their adjacent ends, and connectedto the said bars, said arms having movement in relation to each other and rotary movement as one body, and controlling means comprising a circular track having a radial portion, and links pivoted to the arms to contact with the track, said links being arranged in pairs, one pair at the front and one at the rear, substantially asdescribed.

7. In combination the casing, prising front and rear supports, a pair of arms carrying the same and pivotally mounted at their adjacent ends, to turn in relation to each tracting the rack in relation'to the casin or to revolve as one body to turn the rac a controlling track on the casing, links pivoted to the arms and having contact membersat their meetin ends, and a spring catch to engage sai contact members'to center the rack after bein turned and to place the same under restraint, substantially as described.

in relation to each other to advance or retract the rack in relationto the casing and having rotary movement as one body to rotate the rack in relation to the casing and controllin means to prevent rotation of the rack as it is moved forward or backward in relation to the casing and to backward movement as the rack is substantially as described.

. 4. In a display apparatus, the combination of a casing, a rack comprising supportarms pivotally mounted on the casing at their adjacent ends, said arms having turning movement in relation to each other to advance or retract the rack in relation to the casing, and having rotary movement as one body to rotate the rack in relation to the casing, and controlling means to prevent rotation of the rack as it is moved forward or backward in relation to the casing and to a circular track on the casing having a radial portion, and means on the rack engaging said track, substantially as described.

5. In combination a casing, front and rear bars for supporting the garments, a'pair of arms pivotally mounted on the casing 'at their adjacent ends, and connected to the in presence of two witnesses. v said bars, said arms having movement in re-- LYMAN. W. WELCH. lation to each other and rotary movement as Witnesses:

WESLEY W. HYDE,

one body, and controlling means comprising NINA L. WILBISON.

a circular track having a radial portion,'and

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for Washington, D. C.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature other for advancing or re- 

